Kjell is a Norwegian artist who moved to London for love in 2010. He grew up on his family’s farm in Southwest Norway and for many years was a teacher and later headmaster. His desire to create a better world also led him into political activism for many years. Kjell has painted most of his life, and it became his full time occupation 15 years ago.
Abstraction is his preferred expression. “I have huge freedom, and what is better to express concentrated emotions than this abstract language?” Kjell’s paintings are true emotional expressions of an investigation of his mind or memory; colour being the letters in his painter’s language. Kjell’s wish is for people to identify some feeling of their own when they look at his work; rather than seeking to “understand” them.
Kjell states ‘As an artist I have something to communicate and painting is my channel. Lines, figures and colours are the letters of my language. I think of myself as a colorist and the colours usually carry most of the message. Colours cooperate in communicating feelings or experiences. If a viewer feels that the painting speaks to them and likes it or finds it intriguing, I feel I have succeeded. The viewer establishes her or his own conversation and finishes my work.’
Kjell’s paintings are part of Norwegian public collections, including those at Nangijala AUF, a work donated to the youth organization after the Utøya massacre in 2011, as well as at Sandnes Læringssenter and Fylkessjukehuset in Odda. His artworks are also held in private collections across Norway, England, the USA, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Japan, Greece, South Korea, Germany, and the UK. Kjell currently works at Delta House Studios in Wimbledon.
Kjell draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, starting with something concrete that resonates deeply—a piece of music, a book, or even a meaningful encounter. These moments spark the creative process, leading to abstract interpretations. Notable examples include his Symphony Paintings, inspired by Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies, and the Jazz Series, influenced by Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. Kjell’s working methods are equally distinctive, with his canvases lying flat as he applies thinned acrylics, allowing colours to mix and flow on the surface. His “assistants”—Time, Water, and Gravity—play an unpredictable role, sometimes introducing unexpected details that shape the final piece.